Automatically-tripping trolley-pole.



No. 817,858. PATENTED APR. 17, 1906. T. H. MARS.

AUTOMATICALLY TRIPPING TROLLEY POLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1805.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFTGE.

THOMAS H. MARS, OF CHIGA GOQILLINOIS.

AUTOMATlCALLY-TRIPPING TROLLEY-POLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 17, 1906.

Application filed July 12, 1905. Serial No. 269,337.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. MARs, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatically- Tripping specification.

automatically-tripping trolley-poles; and it has for its salient objects to provide a construction which conforms substantially to the trolley mechanisms now in common use in so far as its general features are concerned and at the same time embodies mechanisnr whereby the trolley-pole is automatically re-i leased and permitted to drop whenever the, trolley jumps the trolley-wire and rises to ang abnormal angle; to provide a simple and re;

liable mechanism which is devoid of expensive and complicated parts; to provide a con-. struction in which the trolley-pole is handled in the usual manner by means of a cord con-i nected with the upper end thereof and de-', pending within reach of the operator, the Elf-f rangement of the mechanism being such as not to interfere with the usual manipulationof the trolley-pole; to provide a construction which while operating to automatically tripv and release the trolley-pole also embodies means for restoring the operative connec-; tions between the retracting-spring and trolley-pole by simply drawing the pole down beyond the position at which it is arrested when it is tripped and falls; to provide details of construction which enable the various parts to be adjusted relatively to each other to secure the desired operation, and in general to provide a simple and improved device of the character referred to.

To the above ends the invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a trolley mechanism embodying the invention, parts of the trolley-pole being broken out to reduce the size of the drawing. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lower end portion of the trolley-pole andhoperating mechanism connected therewit Referring to said drawings, l designates as a whole a suitable base support, which in practice is secured to the top of the car so as to swivel thereon. Upon the upstanding part 2 of the base is pivotally mounted the trolley-pole 3, the latter being in the present instance forked at its lower end to embrace the part 2 and connected therewith by a V The member 2 of the base is provided with a horizontal extension-arm 5, upon which is fixedly mounted a shoulder member 6 near the inner end of the arm and a sliding collar 7 upon its outer end. A coiled expansion-spring 8 is interposed between the collar 7 and shoulder member 6, and the expansion of the spring is limited by means of a stud 9, mounted in the arm 5 outside of the collar 7. The springS exerts its tension upon the trolley-pole through the medium of a tension member 10, which inthe present instance is of duplex construction, comprising a pair of link-like bars 11, arranged at opposite sides of the spring 8 and at their outer ends connected with the corre sponding sides of the collar 7 by means of a pivot-bolt 12. These members 11 of the tension member extend through suitable guides 13, carried by the shoulder member 6, and v terminate in hook portions 14, whichextend alongside of the forked portion of the trolleypole and are adapted to engage studs 15, mounted upon the pole at points somewhat remote from the pivot of the latter.

In order to automatically disengage the tension member from the trolley-pole whenever the latter rises to an abnormal angle, each link 11 is provided upon its under side with a cam projection 16, having an inclined rear or outer face 17, which is adapted to co6perat with a cam-roller 18, mounted in the lower portion of the corresponding guide 13. In order to adjust the cam member 16 rela tively to this roller 18, the cam member is made detachable and secured to the link by means of bolts 19, as indicated clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. The relation of the inclined surface of each cam 16 to the corresponding roller 18 is such that whenever the trolleypole rises beyond its usual working angle the cam engages the roller, lifts the tension member out of engagement with its stud, and thus permits the trolley-pole to fall.

Means are provided for limiting the extent to which the pole may fall when thus disengaged from the tension member, and the same means are employed for effecting the reengagement of the tension member With the trolley-pole. Describing this mechanism, 2O designates as a whole a telescoping link consisting of two parts 21 and 22, respectively, the former of which is connected with a bracket-like extension 23 upon the trolley pole, while the other member is forked and connected with the outer end of the tension member 10 by the same pivotbolt 12, which connects the latter to the collar 7. The members 21 and 22 overlap each other and terminate in counter-embracing eyes 24 which limit the extension of the link mechanism and constitute, in effect, a lostmotion mechanism. The point of connection of the member 21 with the trolley-pole is distant from the pivotal point of the latter such that as the trolley-pole descends the link mechanism is brought to its limit of ex tension before the trolley-pole reaches a horizontal position, substantially as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Further descent of the trolley-pole is therefore prevented by the link mechanism and spring 8. It follows that if the trolley-pole be drawn down beyond this point the spring is com ressed and the tension member connectec therewith forced forwardly, and the relation of these moving parts is so adjusted that before the trolley-pole reaches a horizontal position or is arrested by engagement with the top of the car the tension member has been drawn forwardly and rengaged with the studs 15. In order to facilitate this rengagement, the extreme ends of the members 11 are inclined, as indicated at 25, so as to move into engagement with the studs latch fashion.

The operation of the mechanism has been fully indicated in connection with the description of the several parts and need not, therefore, be repeated.

While I have herein shown a preferred embodiment, yet it is to be understood that the details of construction and arrangement may be modified without departing from the in vention.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination, a trolley-pole, a basesupport with which the lower end of said trolley-pole is pivotally connected, a spring-actuated tension member detachably connected with the pole, a tripping mechanism arranged to effect the disengagement of'the tension member from the pole when. the latter rises to an abnormal angle and a lost motion mechanism connected with the trolley-pole at a point between the pivot and trolley engaging end thereof and also connected with the tension member so as to advance the lat ter into position to rengage the trolley-pole when the latter is drawn down toward a horizontal position.

2. In combination, a trolley-pole, a basesupport with which the lower end of said trolley-pole is pivotally connected, a spring-actuated tension member detachably connecttimers ed with the pole, a tri ping mechanism arranged to effect the isengagement oi' the tension member from the pole when the latter rises to an abnormal angle and a telescoping-link device having one end connected with the trolley-pole at a point intermediate the length of the latter and its opposite end arranged toact upon the tension member after the link has reached its limit of extension.

3. In a trolley, a combination of a suitable base-support, a trolley-pole pivoted thereto, a tension member having hooked engagement with the trolley-pole at a point between the ends of the latter, a spring acting upon said tension member to normally draw the trolley-pole toward an upright position and a cam mechanism arranged in the path of reciprocation of the tension member and operating to automatically disengage the latter from the trolley-pole when the latter rises to an abnormal angle.

4. In a trolley, the combination of a suitable base-support a trolley-pole pivoted thereto, a tension member having hooked engagement with the trolley-pole at a point be tween the ends of the latter, a spring acting upon said tension member to normally draw the trolley-pole toward an upright position, a cam mechanism arranged in the path of reciprocation of the tension member and operating to automatically disengage the latter from the trolley-pole when the latter rises to an abnormal angle and alost-motion mechanism connecting the end of the tension member remote from the trolley-pole with the trolleypole at a point intermediate the length of the latter and more remote from its pivot than the point of connection therewith of the ten- .sion member.

5. In a trolley, the combination of a suitable base-support, a trolley-pole pivotally mounted upon said base, a spring-support mounted upon and extending outwardly from said base-support, a tension member operatively connected with said spring at one end and at its opposite end. detachably engaging the trolley at a point above the pivot thereof,

IIO

an inclined cam-surface upon said tension 7 member, a cooperative stationary cam mem ber upon said spring-support and a telescoping-link mechanism connected at one end with the tension member at a point remote from its pole-engaging end and at its opposite end connected with a trolley-pole at a point above the point of connection of the tension member thereto.

6. In a trolley, the combination of a suitable base-support, a trolley-pole pivotally mounted upon said base, a spring-support mounted upon. and extending outwardly from said base-support, a tension member operatively connected with said spring at one end and at its opposite end detachably engaging the trolley at a point above the pivot thereof, an inclined cam-surface upon said tension member, a cooperative stationary cam member upon said spring-support, a telescopinglink mechanism connected at one end with the tension member at a point remote from its pole-engaging end and at its opposite end connected with the trolleypole at a point above the point of connection of the tension member thereto, and means for drawing the trolley-pole downwardly toward a horizontal position.

7. In combination, a suitable base-support, a trolley-pole pivotally mounted thereon, an extension-arm connected with said base-support and extending horizontally therefrom, a fixed shoulder upon the inner portion of said extension-arm and a sliding member upon the outer end thereof, a coiled expansion-spring interposed between said shoulder and sliding member, a tension member connected with the sliding member at one end and at its opposite end provided with a hook detachably engaging a suitable proj ection upon the trolley-pole, an inclined cam upon said tension member, a cooperative stationary cam member upon the extensionarm, a telescoping link operatively connected with the tension member at a point remote from the trolley-pole and at its opposite end connected with the pole at a point remote from the pivot thereof and a cord connected with the trolley-pole and depending to a position accessible by the operator.

8. In combination with a trolley-pole and a suitable base upon which the pole is pivot= ally mounted, a spring actuated tension member arranged in obtuse angle relation to the trolley-pole and 'detachably connected with the latter at a point above its pivot, an automatically-acting tripping mechanism arranged to throw off the tension member when the latter is retracted beyond a predeter mined limit, and a lost-motion connection between the end of the tension member re mote from the trolleypole and a part of the trolley-pole remote from the engaging end of the tension member.

THOMAS H. MARS. Witnesses:

FREDERICK C. GooDwIN, FRANK L. BELKNAP. 

